Four University of Nairobi (UON) Council members, including Chair Prof. Amukowa Anangwe, have been arrested by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over alleged abuse of office.
According to reports, the four members were taken to EACC’s headquarters at Integrity Centre for questioning on Friday, May 16.
Anangwe was reportedly arrested while in Kisumu, with the three others, who are yet to be identified, arrested in Nairobi.
The latest development comes amid heightened scrutiny of the once-prestigious institution over alleged mismanagement by council members, which has affected operations and learning.
The most recent issue was the controversy surrounding the university’s Vice-Chancellor appointment, which resulted in a push and pull between the institution and the Ministry of Education.
The university Council, headed by Prof Amukowa Anangwe, had appointed Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Prof Bitange Ndemo as the new VC.
He was set to succeed Prof. Margaret Jesang Hutchinson at the end of his diplomatic assignment in Brussels, within the next six months.
Prof. Francis Mulaa, the newly named Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, was to serve as VC until Prof. Ndemo returns from Brussels, within the next six months, and formally takes office.
In the letter, also copied to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, Anangwe said Prof. Ndemo is currently wrapping up his diplomatic assignment as Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium.
However, Ndemo rejected his appointment as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, citing concerns over the process used to select him.
Ndemo referred to the process of his appointment as unprocedural, and as he sought to dissociate himself from the role.
"The announcement triggered a flood of congratulatory messages on social media. However, I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process and have withdrawn my candidacy for the position," the statement read in part.
This is not the first time EACC has locked horns with UON. In November 2024, two are at loggerheads over the appointment of a top director who is the university’s acting Chief Operating Officer (COO).
The COO was appointed to the post by the University Council in September 2024. EACC claims that the official, a long-serving employee at UON, lacks the necessary academic qualifications for the role. Additionally, EACC has asserted that the COO position the COO holds was not created per applicable law.
